Dear No One
by Sandman's Dream Catcher
Summary: Will I ever find it? That is the question I kept asking myself every day. But after four years of waiting tables at the diner, the unexpected happened. I didn't find love. Love found me in the unexpected form of one Itachi Uchiha. AU. Repost.


****Unbeta'd folks.****

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><p><em><em>Dear No One<em>_

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><p><em><em>A day where lovers meet to exchange tokens of affection that express their undying love for each other. They would spend their night whispering sweet nothings into each other's ear. There would be tentative smiles, sometimes tender hand holding and other times stolen kisses that remained chaste, for the most part, throughout the night.<em>_

__And then there is me, the waitress, working to serve these couples on their special night.__

__This is Valentine's day.__

__And that is the sight that I'm greeted with each year during my shift as a waitress at Ichiraku's Diner, since I first began working there.__

__Call me a masochist for putting myself through the torture of experiencing such a display of amorous affection while I myself spend the holiday alone, but I enjoy it. Enough. Plus the pay is good.__

__Maybe it's because the loving aura that surrounds everyone during this time.__

__Whatever the reason it may be, the nights I have experienced on this day are some of the most beautiful that I have seen.__

__Yes, sometimes I may desire a relationship like those I have seen at restaurants and in movies. But from the relationships I've seen, those are only temporary.__

__Call me a closet romantic, but its the truth.__

__I had been set up by friend Ino on more blind dates than I would have liked to have had in one lifetime. I have met men of all kinds from those dates. A few who were a couple years apart from me. Some who were loud and obnoxious, and others quiet and introverted.__

__I have been kissed on the cheek and on the lips. Nothing more afterward though. No spark, no insatiable interest.__

__Sex wasn't a good enough reason to keep me to a guy for more than a date or a one-night stand, and I wasn't shallow enough to make it so.__

__Why I haven't found someone who has stolen my heart is a mystery to many. But I was fine with it, for a little while.__

__Things have changed since though, and my desire to find someone whom I can connect with in an emotional and physical way has grown.__

__My friend Naruto nowadays spends time with girlfriend of two years, Hinata, a shy girl he met in one of his communication's classes. Ino is out with a new guy almost every day, so hanging out with her is out of the question. Hell, even Sasuke meets more action than I do with his award winning personality and all.__

__Maybe I am masochistic if I surround myself with people who are lucky to have found what I have failed to.__

__To me, love is like the music you hear being played by your favorite artist at a concert. It's more than just singing the right song. It's about singing to the right person.__

__Everyone is in love with the idea of love and being in love, but do they ever find it?__

__Will I ever find it? That is the question I kept asking myself every day.__

__But after four years of waiting tables at the diner, on the night of February the 14th, the unexpected happened.__

__I didn't find love.__

__Love found me in the unexpected form of one Itachi Uchiha.__

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><p><strong>Present Day<strong>

A love doomed from the start, yet the woman and the man gave it their all to make it work.

It's an ending I knew all too well.

I have read this book many times. And it never failed to bring me to tears, though I managed to reign them in this time around. I'm on the clock, and I'm indulging in a bit of light reading. So my boss would not appreciate if I scared the customers away the night when business is supposed to be booming. It is Valentine's Day.

Ah, Valentine's Day. A celebration of love, to many who have precious people in their lives to share it with. And a reminder to others of what they're missing.

I fall under the second group, not that I'm bothered by it.

It's hard to be satisfied with life and finding happiness in friends and family, when the possibilities of having something more exists. Happiness is real when shared, but as of late, I have found no one who I'm willing to share my life and soul with.

It's seven o'clock at night here at the diner, and Mr. Ichiraku has me arranging small bouquets of silk roses at each booth for the upcoming arrival of couples seeking refuge from the nightly frost that has plagued Konoha for the past month or so. The diner's lighting is giving off a warm, inviting glow for prospective customers to make entry into the establishment.

I was not supposed to work tonight, but because Ayame, Mr. Ichiraku's daughter, made last minute plans with her sweetheart. I have to take her place. I'm not complaining. All of my good friends are entertaining their sweethearts tonight as well, and I rather not be a third or fifth wheel in those gatherings. Tips are unusually generous on this day anyway, and I don't mind the extra money.

I wonder what they're doing tonight? My friends I mean.

Naruto had mentioned about taking Hinata ice skating, which is pretty sweet considering its Naruto, the lovable idiot, who suggested it. And Ino should be going out on her fifth date of the week today. I do not know what Sasuke is doing today. And I haven't bothered to ask.

I sometimes wonder how did the holiday that celebrates the life of a saint become a day of romance and love. Did this saint find love on this day? Did he and his love live happily ever after?

I have been working the Valentine's shift for the past four years, so I'm relatively acquainted with the theatrics provided throughout the night. There have been both hook ups and break ups, and marriage proposals that have gone good and bad.

This holiday that celebrates the affections people vary with the person you choose to spend it with, I have come to realize.

And I have yet to find the right person to share it with.

The diner is open until midnight, and tomorrow is my day off along with the rest of the weekend, so working tonight is no big deal. It's not like I had anything special planned.

I flipped through the pages to read the annotations of the person who owned this prior to me. A philosopher of some kind, if the profound thoughts about love is any indication of this person's intellectual prowess.

But written inside the flap of the front cover of the book, did I first notice lines written in neat cursive. It's a poem of a sort:

__Life flashes by green.__

__Death ends at the red.__

__But what stays constant,__

__What man holds dear, is fear.__

__Fear of mortality__

__Fear of oblivion__

__Fear of incompletion.__

__For the opposite of fear is love.__

__Yet there are those who fight it.__

__And until they cross that bridge.__

__And experience love that__

_And it ends there._

I turn the page and find it empty.

"A love that. . ." I thought out aloud.

It's in human nature to fill this human void that everyone is born with. This emptiness which makes us desire endlessly, and to seek out the love that comes from companionship.

But what type of love is desired the most? A love based on beauty? A love based on wealth?

What type of love do I want?

I want a love based on the goodness and happiness that a person brings with their mere presence. I want someone who promises me nothing but tries to give me everything. I want to experience young love that even when we're old, lasts forever. But does such love exist?

"Hmm. A love that. . ." I quickly scrawl down my thoughts as words and phrases began to form in my head.

**_**. . . is eternal.**_**

**_**And find that missing piece.**_**

**_**Things will fall to place.**_**

I finish the last line and reread it.

And I reread it again. And again. Like putting a puzzle together, I realized that I was still missing something, but I didn't know how-

Someone cleared their throat behind me.

I snapped the book shut and stuffed it, pen and all, into one of the pockets of my apron. I turned around to meet the displeased gaze of my redheaded co-worker, tapping her foot impatiently.

I sighed. "What is it Karin?"

We remained silent for a while, with only the sounds of water running from the faucet and plates clanking each other in the pool of dirty water in the sink. A while passed before Karin huffed and the sound of her shoes clicking away left the room. She probably realized she wouldn't be getting any answers from me anytime soon. A couple minutes later her head pops in through the door. She's wearing her winter coat and holding her purse in one hand, a serious expression planted on her face. "Don't forget to lock up." She muttered, and then she left.

Realizing that I have been taking longer than I should, I turned off the faucet and went about to finish cleaning the last of the dishes. My hands were dry and pruned at the end of it, but I could not afford to worry about something insignificant like that if I wanted to open on time. I quickly dried the dishes, and stored them away in their cupboard for later use as I tried to prepare myself mentally for the long haul ahead of me. I grabbed my hair and began to tie it into a respectable ponytail. I looked back at the digital clock and the hair band in my hand snapped: the clock reads 8:05.

People should be coming in any minute now, and here I was contemplating the sad musings of my life. I was discomforted by the idea of serving with my hair down, but quickly banished those thoughts as I ran my fingers through the tips in attempt to comb it. I sent out a text to the head cook who should be arriving from his break soon, alerting him of his tardiness.

I stood behind the bar counter near the register, and stared at the front door to wait.

And wait.

And wait, until I felt my eyes grow heavy, and the light dim.

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><p><em>. . .<em>

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><p>Frank Sinatra's voice singing from my phone woke up me from spell of sleep that I'd fallen under. Lazily like a cat awoken from her cat nap, I stretched my arms back and forward as I tried to fix the kink in my neck from sleeping on a hard table counter. After rubbing my eyes, and getting my bearings, I pick up my cell phone after the fifth ring.<p>

"Hello?" My voice lulled by the impromptu nap, I had taken minutes prior.

_"___Finally Forehead! What took you so long? How's work?"__ I sighed.

I looked at the door and saw that the doormat looked dry and untouched, meaning that no one had stopped by while I was asleep. I hear the quiet murmurs of the people working in the back as they muttered about the gas prices going up today. I looked back at the clock; it's a quarter past nine.

I groaned through the speaker. "Slow, why?"

We continued for the rest of the hour talking about nothing really. Then my phone started to beep mid-rant from Ino describing her date with a first class "ass-hole". Apparently the guy had no manners, and had made Ino pay for their meal.

The beep reminded me that I had only five percent battery left, which forced me to cut our conversation short. We exchanged good nights, and promises to meet up tomorrow if the time and weather would permit.

I looked back at the clock and realized that it was almost ten thirty, and still no couples in sight. I walked towards the window to look outside, taking a sip from my water bottle to wash out my drowsiness. A steady snowfall has begun to cover the streets of Konoha. A few people were strolling down, holding hands, without a care in the world. They passed the diner without a second glance.

Now that's strange.

Two more times after the first did I notice the same occurrence happen.

What in the world is going on?

Maybe they had found some place better to spend Valentine's Day. Most likely the five star restaurant down the street, a much more romantic atmosphere to spend tonight than here.

It's for the best I try to tell myself; a single waitress, two cooks and a cashier aren't much company.

I guess people watching on the 14th is a bust this year. I tried not to feel the pang of disappointment that hit me.

I sighed as I pulled out the worn copy of __The Time Traveler's Wife__out of my apron. I turned to the flap to read over the poem again:

__Life flashes by in green.__

__Death ends in red.__

__But what stays constant,__

__What man holds dear, is fear.__

__Fear of mortality__

__Fear of oblivion__

__Fear of incompletion.__

__For the opposite of fear is love.__

__Yet there are those who fight it.__

__And until they cross that bridge.__

__And experience love that is eternal.__

__And find that missing piece.__

__Things will fall to place.__

Something I have learned over the years is that a love that is blind is hard to find.

And when I mean by blind, I don't mean what you can see or what you can't see. I mean blind to the things you feel or don't want to feel. People want to feel the highs that love is, never the downs that the death of a loved one may bring. And so they subject themselves to never loving someone with the fear of getting hurt.

A blind person appreciate their senses more than people who have all five. A blind love tends to focus on things that go beyond a person's superficial looks, such as character and merit. And such a love is rare indeed.

Everyone has an ideal, a type of person they would want to be with. Some even have a name to that ideal.

Inspiration once again hit me, and so I took out my pen and began to write:

**_**But for now, Dear no one.**_**

**_**Whoever you are,**_**

**_**Wherever you may be.**_**

**_**If you find me.**_**

**_**Promise to love me,**_**

**_**As I promise to love you.**_**

**_**To the end.**_**

**_**When our light goes red.**_**

It flowed well. As I was contemplating what more to add, I failed to notice the chime of bells ringing from the door opening, letting a cool breeze enter the establishment and made the hairs on my neck stand up.

Footsteps slowly made their way towards the counter where I was seated.

I heard the clearing of a man's throat, and a shadow dark descend on my book that I realized that I had company.

"Excuse me." A quiet, baritone voice spoke first.

I quickly look up, putting up a sheepish grin from getting caught reading on the job, to greet the newcomer.

"Sorry about that. What can I do for you...?" My voice finished lamely. Surprised green ones met dark, amused ones.

The man's lips moved, but I heard nothing.

Raven hair.

Onyx eyes.

Uchiha.

_"Sasuke?"_

The corner of the man's lip twitched upwards into a dazzling smile as he looked at me through hooded eyes.

"Not quite," his deep voice deadpanned, stretching the 'O' at the end. He smirked, "But we're related."

I ducked down as I felt my face burn from the incoming blush. "Oh. . . Sorry about that." I smiled sheepishly at him. "W-we were good friends when we were younger. You both share the same eyes. And I haven't seen him in a while, so-"

He wordlessly raised a hand in front of him to put a stop to my rambling. A genuine smile softened his hard, weathered features. "No worries, Sakura-san." He replied, my name rolling off his tongue in such way that made my heart skip a beat. Faint amusement could be heard in his tone. "I understand."

Another blush appeared on my cheeks, replacing the other just as fast as it disappeared. My heart was racing a million beats a second and I had no clue why other than that this man was the source.

"H-how do you know my name?" Jeeze, if things keep going as they are, I'm going to resemble a stuttering Hinata, the night before she confessed to Naruto.

He blinked once, and a small frown appeared on his aristocratic features. Confusion clouded his eyes. "Forgive me, is it not your name?" He inclined his head to my chest where a small name tag, with the name 'Sakura' engraved in bold letters, was clipped to my shirt above my heart, "I just assumed. My apologies." He replied sincerely with a small bow of his head.

I was mortified. If it were possible, I would have turned even redder than I already was."Oh no! My name is Sakura. That's why name tags are there for. . . So people can read them. . . It's just that, . . . You see, I thought. . . It's been a long night." My voice trailed off as I couldn't find words to explain my own stupidity. I sent him a sheepish smile before looking away from his dark, amused eyes.

An awkward silence fell over us. Or a silence, at least, that seemed awkward to me. He still looked forward at me with the confidence of a lion stalking his prey.

Why the hell am I acting like this? I wiped my hands on my apron when I felt the clamminess against my wrist when I held it. My heart rate was reaching a dangerous speed, as I took in deep breaths in order to calm myself. My feet wouldn't stop fidgeting in place.

I stared at the book that sat on the counter, praying for it to somehow devour me whole, or for someone to come in and save me from further making a fool out of myself. I looked at the man's feet from the corner of my eye when I noticed his feet shifting a bit. It took me a second to realize he must be waiting to order.

I tucked the book away into my apron, before steeling myself with a cheery smile before looking up to meet his eyes. "What can I get you?"

He stared at me for a moment. Probably assessing that I wouldn't implode like a tomato. "A cup of coffee, please, if it isn't much trouble." He asked politely, turning away to look at the floor. He seemed to be thinking something over.

"Of course! Choose a seat and I'll bring it over." I gave him another smile before making my way to back to the counter to prepare his warm beverage.

As I started heating a kettle of water on the stove, I took the moment to study my new friend.

To put it simply, the man is _breathtaking_.

He stood almost a foot taller than me, around six feet tall. His long dark hair was tied in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. Long bangs framing his high cheekbones.

He had a sharp nose and thin lips that were set in a line. His eyelashes were full at the edges, which made me frown in envy.

He chose to sit in the booth closest to the window, at the far corner of the diner. He wore black gloves, a red knitted scarf and a black pea coat. He removed his scarf and smoothly unbuttoned his coat to remove it. As he did so, underneath revealed a dark blue, V-neck sweater that hugged his lean torso snugly, emphasizing the subtle muscular definition there. His jeans were dark and fitted, with a metal chain holding his wallet hanging out of his pocket. He wore square toed, black leather shoes.

His messenger bag, which I failed to notice before, he placed in the seat next to him before situating himself inside the booth. He pulled out his glasses, a leather bound journal and a pen. He must be a student from around here, if his bag and notebook is any indication of a scholar. Konoha University is just a couple blocks down, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was on his way home after a late study session. I would know. I practically live at the library on the weekends, reading medical journals of new scientific breakthroughs.

What I found startling about him, though, were his eyes. Though the same shade of onyx as the rest of his family, unlike his family who were about as social as rocks sometimes, his eyes were expressive in ways words alone could not describe. Like a gateway to his soul, I saw through him, the amusement and the kindness of a gentle creature. The way his lips turned up into a faint smile that , made my stomach tingle in anticipation to see him smile again. His eyes gleamed when he's amused, and they darkened when he was pensive or focused like he is now with his notebook.

I heard the whistle of the kettle on the stove, signaling that the water has reached a boil. Using a rag to hold the hot kettle, I poured the liquid over into his mug. I looked at the open seat in front of him, hesitating for a second as I looked at another mug. Before I could think otherwise, I grabbed it and poured water in it for me as well. As I added a couple spoonfuls of coffee mix into each cup, I realize that I had forgotten to ask him whether he preferred two sugars or one. I stared intently at him before I took a leap of faith, adding two spoonfuls of sugar and a good amount of cream to balance out the flavor. I gave the same attention to my drink. Once both drinks cooled down a bit, I took a long sip from my cup, enjoying the nuttiness from the hazelnut coffee grounds I had chosen as the base, and the subtle sweetness from both the vanilla cream and sugar. Taking hold of both mugs in both hands, I made my way to the booth where he was seated.

I set his drink on the table in front of him, next to his textbook and his Smartphone as he continued to write ferociously in his journal. I couldn't make out any words or letters, so I shrugged and looked around the room. My eyes kept glancing at the empty seat opposite of him, but banished the thought, as I thought how intimate that would be. And I didn't want to give the impression that I was some girl interested in hitting on her customer. If he knows Sasuke, then who knows what the emotionally stunted boy has shared with my handsome counterpart.

Now that I think about it, what is this man to Sasuke? He said that they were related, but he never mentioned how. Is he a cousin? An uncle? Or God forbid, this man be Sasuke's other brother? The older brother who Sasuke idolized to the point of obsession since grade school.

I looked him over. The similarities are there, but it's still too early to tell, plus they could still be-

"Care to join me?" His quiet voice broke me out of my reverie.

I looked down at him and noticed that he had put all his books away in the time that I was thinking, save for his phone which he just put off to the side. He stands up and motion the seat opposite of him with one hand.

"Please."

For a moment I see a flicker of another emotion pass through his eyes, but then it was gone in a flash. That's another thing I envied about him. He can hide his emotions very well.

My eyes look up to his black smoldering ones, and back down to the seat across from him. __It doesn't mean anything. It doesn't mean anything. __I chanted in my head, softly setting my cup on the table before slowly seating myself into the booth. He sat down right afterward, reminding me of a time when a man stood up from his seat when his wife (I assumed it was his wife since he had a wedding band on) arrived, and sat back right down after she was seated like a gentleman. I blushed at the thought.

A comfortable silence settled at the table. If he noticed the way my interlocked hands fidgeted on the table and around my coffee mug, he didn't say. Instead, he reached out for his own coffee to take a sip.

He grunted in approval, which I took as a good sign. "This is a very good brew. How did you prepare it, if I may ask?" He asked once he put the mug down. His dark eyes were illuminated by the glow of the lamp above us. I was able to catch a sliver of cobalt in his irises. How peculiar. Another difference that contradicted his Uchiha descendance.

I inwardly smiled. "Two spoons of sugar and some vanilla cream. It's usually how I prepare my own coffee in the morning before heading out."

"Ah." He took another sip.

With renewed confidence I plunged into conversation with him. "So you're a sweets person?"

The corner of his mouth lifted into a crooked grin. "You can say that. I order a plate of dango every time I visit here, after a long lecture at the university."

So I was right about the student part. "What are you studying?" I asked with piqued interest.

"I'm in my fourth year in the masters program." That should make him around twenty six if my calculations are correct.

"For what major?"

He smirked. "Philosophy."

I giggled. "Philosophy?"

He nodded, amused by the face I was making.

"Why Philosophy, when there's so many other majors out there? You look like a smart man. Why not study medicine, law, or even engineering?"

"Ah. And why not study Philosophy?" He retorted back with a proud smirk on his face.

This time I laughed. "Touché."

He chuckled. His laugh sounded like a bag of rusted windpipes, growing stronger and healthier the more he did so. He stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at me with a strange gleam in his eyes. "In philosophy there are no right answers, just well explained reasons of how the world may work. The possibilities of making discoveries are endless, as are the possibilities of objecting to such discoveries are endless. It's what makes studying this subject so rewarding. I can help enable minds to think critically on their own, without giving them the answer to everything."

I smiled, admiring the passion in his voice as he spoke. "Spoken like a true philosopher."

His eyes grew wistful as he seemed to recall a line from a theory book. "Man cannot remake himself without suffering, for he is both the marble and the sculptor."

His head tilted a bit, drawing my attention to the fissure between his sharp jaw and where his neck met. It wasn't beauty carved out of marble, but it was the beauty of him, a living man, in flesh.

His gaze was unnerving me.

"Why are you staring at me?"

He smirked. "Because you're beautiful."

I blushed and looked down at the table.

"Do you stop by here often?" This is the first time I have noticed him so he shouldn't have been coming long.

"Yes." He leaned back against his seat, crossing his forearms together across his chest. The way his body moved sensuously without his knowledge only made all the more attractive through my eyes.

"How long?"

He thought about it before answering, "Five years."

My eyes grew wide in surprise before I composed myself. "Really?"

Five years? Maybe I'm not so observant as I thought. I have been working here for four, and not once do I remember seeing him in the clientele I have served.

"Hmm." He hummed an affirmative through his cup. Having had finished more than half of his warm beverage, he looked down at it before setting it back down. "So."

A pause.

"What's your story?"

I choked on my drink. Wiping my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt before I answered. "Pardon?"

His tone was amused. "How long have you worked here?"

"Well, I started during my second semester freshman year, and have been working since to pay off for graduate school."

"A medical student then?" He asked, gesturing at the textbooks that sat forgotten on the counter.

I nodded.

"Fair enough."

He seemed satisfied enough with my answer if his silence is any indication.

He unfolded his arms to stretch, drawing my attention for the second time to his person as the muscles that wrapped around his arms and shoulders contracted on his lean frame. He leaned his head back against the cushion of his seat and closed his eyes. He breathed in deeply.

He opened them half a minute later, probably sensing my gaze, and met my wary green ones with a renewed light that made him look younger. "I have shared with you quite a bit about myself." He said it as more of a statement than a question.

I nodded, not sure where he was going with his inquiry.

He smirked. "So it would only be fair that you do that same. Yes?"

I stifled a laugh. "What's more to know? You know my name. Plus, I don't even know your name. For all I know, you could be trying to seduce me to steal my virtue."

He stared at me for a long second before he broke into a fit of chuckles. His laugh, rough from not having used it in a while, the more musical it became.

And the more he laughed, the more I wanted to make him laugh just so I could hear it again.

Once he stopped, he continued. "Very true." He smirked deviously as his voice lowered an octave. "While my intentions with you are noble, but if you, as you kindly phrased it, wanted me to steal your virtue. You only have but to ask."

He winked at me. I blushed. And with the smirk on his face, he knew the reaction his words had on me. Then his face cleared and he got serious.

"You must understand something. When you experience something new, such as meeting a person, a new friend," he motions a hand between us, "there's a certain magic that happens. Don't you agree?"

I nodded slowly.

"Now I'm not talking about the magic that exists in fairy tales and fiction. I'm talking about the real magic that exists in our world. _Real_ magic that exists in the excitement that the mysteries of life may bring. Through new relationships, new experiences, new life.

"So if magic exists only in the mystery. When the mystery is solved and gone. Then so is the magic."

I give him a hard look. "So, what you're trying to say is that you won't tell me your name because you want to keep the magic?"

He gave me a smile, not a smirk, but a genuine smile. A smile that made his eyes gleam with amusement. "In more words or less."

I laughed. "You're weird."

This time he smirked. "So I have been told." He rested an arm over the seat and he leaned forward over the table. Our faces were merely a foot apart.

I leaned back to distance myself. "It's still not fair. You know mine." I gestured to the name plate on my shirt.

"Ah, that I do. I, however, do not know your full name."

"Like it matters." I scoffed_._

"It matters to me." He said, his brow furrowed into a small frown..

A comfortable silence fell over the table. I cleared my throat. He leaned forward as if to listen better.

"My name is Sakura Haruno." I repeated, this time my voice strong with an emotion that I couldn't name.

And with those words, I felt my fate sealed, though I had no idea where they would take me.

He just smiled that faint smile that I have grown to love in the short time that we have met. He held out his hand for me to take. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Haruno."

And when our hands touched, a spark energy passed through and consumed me with warmth and a feeling of wholeness, I never wanted it to go away. The sudden feeling must have passed him too, for when I held his hand, his body tensed before slowly relaxing.

After a minute we both let go, his fingers lingering over my knuckles before he completely withdrew. I turned away, feeling a blush starting to form on my cheeks, warmth reaching my neck. I tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear as I turned to find him looking outside, deep in thought.

"W-why are you here, Uchiha-san?"

His dark eyes flashed to me, though his posture was towards the window. He answered honestly. "I was headed home, when I saw the sign that read open. Thought I would stop in for warm drink."

I laughed. "Ah. . ." I turned around to look back at the clock; it's a quarter past eleven.

"Why are you here?" He asked quietly. His arms were back on the table, hands folded against his lips as his dark eyes looked questioningly at me. There was a double meaning to his question.

"I'm here working, of course."

"Oh, I think there something to be discovered there."

"There isn't."

He stared at me for the longest of times. "Try me."

"I don't know where to start."

He grinned. "I have heard that the beginning is a good place."

I laughed, to which he just smiled.

"You can trust me, Sakura-san."

__Ha!__He's a complete stranger for all I know.

I sat back and turned to the window, to contemplate his words. Can I trust him?

Do I trust him already?

Surprisingly, that wasn't difficult to decide: I did trust him. When he first stepped through the door, I was wary of him. But as the night grew older, I realized that I had begun to relax in his presence. Like I have known him not for just an hour, but for years. Maybe in another lifetime, I did. The thought alone both scared me and thrilled me.

Snow continued to fall in wispy flakes, almost out of a scene from a movie. The street lights cast away shadows of people walking side by side in the snow. I heard a faint cry of a child from outside followed by laughter.

"I arrived in Konoha when I was five years old. My father's job called for him to move around. We moved from place to place. I lived in Suna for a year before moving to Konoha. The difference was major. People in Konoha were more carefree and lively in comparison to the distrustful people of Suna.

"That did not mean people over here were any less cruel. I was bullied as a kid growing up, mostly about my hair and forehead. It all ended when another girl in my grade stood up for me. We have been friends ever since.

"My friends," I smiled at the thought of them, "they're something else. I remember one time when we were in grade school that Naruto thought it would be funny to put love notes in all the girl's lockers in our class, all signed by Sasuke. You can just imagine the entire outbreak of outrage and the whole group of girls after one emotionally constipated boy. We were the bestest of friends."

My voice grew sad.

"We all went our separate ways when we left high school. Ino is pursuing a career in psychology, but I barely see her. Naruto wants to become a politician like his father. He might not have the grades for it, but he has the heart to accomplish anything he sets his mind on.

"Sasuke. . . Well, I don't know anymore. We kind of stopped talking a couple years ago. Did he ever tell you that I had a crush on him?"

His eyes lit up. "No."

I laughed sheepishly. "Well, I did."

He looked at me hesitantly before finally asking in his quiet baritone. "Did. . . Did he return the sentiments?"

I snorted. What a loaded question. "No. God no."

I pretended to imagine to the look of relief that flashed through his eyes before it vanished.

"We actually went out for a bit after high school. It was never serious to begin with. But we felt that we had to try since we had friends pushing us together from left and right, see what would happen.

"It didn't work out."

He nodded his head in understanding. I wonder who was his first love? Did he have one? Was she beautiful? What did she look like?

"So you were disillusioned."

"Excuse me?" I looked affronted.

He explained. "After your first love failed, you were disillusioned with the idea to love again, hence your dislike of this holiday. But quite frankly I don't see the point. You were in love with the idea of love. Not Sasuke." His words were cutting.

He must have seen something in me because he smiled sadly. "But you wanted him to be the one to love you."

He read me like an open book. "Is it really that obvious?"

He didn't answer me right away but his eyes warmed as he spoke. "No. Just a feeling."

"Uchiha-san?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" His eyes were inviting. Like home, away from home.

"Why are you really here?" I used his question on him.

"I'm here for the delicious coffee, of course."

I gave him a look. "I mean why are you here talking to me."

He feigned inquisitiveness before responding. "The truth?"

I nodded. He waved a hand over to come closer, as if he was sharing a secret. He spoke slowly. "There's no other place I would rather be."

I blushed. What can you say to something like that?

Then he held up the book I was reading earlier.

"Where did you find this?" He held the book with such familiarity, I was compelled to ask him if he read it before.

"This old thing? Someone left it at the diner sometime around last week."

"Interesting." I looked at him and noticed him wearing a pensive look again.

"Yes. Have you read it?" I asked him as I tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

_"It's dark now, and I'm very tired."_ He looked at me as he recited a line in his velvet voice, almost a whisper, _"I love you, always. Time is nothing."_

I turned away, feeling a blush crawl up my cheeks. _His voice. _My god. "Impressive. Unless you just read the last page of the book."

His face softened into a smile as he shook his head in disbelief. "I quite enjoy the concept that love should have no boundaries. Henry's disorder enabled him to find love, and his bond with Claire grew only stronger because of it."

I just stared at him, before sending him a pointed look and poked his side. He handed over the book which I took from his grasps. "You, Uchiha, are just full of surprises."

He only grinned. Then his eyes lit up.

"I want to show you something."

I coughed nervously. "What? At this hour?"

He got up and started putting on his jacket, forgoing his scarf and gloves.

"The night is still young," he looked at his watch on his wrist. "And where we're going is open all day."

"I don't know..."

"Do you trust me?" There was a strange edge to his voice.

I didn't waste a second to answer. "With my life."

He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then come with me."

He held out his hand for me to take.

And for once I didn't think, and I took his hand, his warmth engulfing mine for the smallest of minutes.

"Let me-let me just grab my coat then." I managed to croak out.

And before you know it, I was outside locking up with Uchiha-san standing just two feet away.

His eyes gleamed with something aching to hope and fear.

"Ready?"

I nodded as I took his offered arm. We walked maybe a block when I remembered something I was going to ask him.

"Hey, you said you saw the open sign when you came in?"

"Yes?" He started innocently.

"The sign read the diner was closed. Which explains why no one else dropped by, but it doesn't explain why you did."

"Must there always be reason why things happen? Why the world was created? Why the sky is blue? Why the birds in the morning? No. But aren't you glad they are there."

"Yes."

He smiled. "Then just be glad I decided to stop in today."

There was no more conversing after that.

We walked for about five more minutes before he halted us to a stop.

We were in front of a soup kitchen.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. A little boy in rags walked by us with a styrofoam cup full of hot chocolate.

"Why? Why not? As I've said before you're disillusioned with the idea that Valentine's is a holiday for idiots, so volunteering at a soup kitchen is something far from celebrating such holiday."

So we did just that.

That night we helped serve over 50 plates of hot meals to the homeless of Konoha. And not once was a 'Happy Valentine's Day' was uttered.

As we walked outside the kitchen, I felt overwhelmed with a feeling of accomplishment. Nothing could wipe the silly grin on my face.

"See what giving food to the hungry can do to a person's esteem?" Uchiha-san proudly decreed.

I laughed. "You're right, yet again."

He smiled fondly. "Off to the next stop then."

He grabbed my hand from the side, interlocking our fingers as he pulled me away toward whatever direction his next destination led.

And then we were in front of the local movie theater.

"A movie? Doesn't that sound datish?" I asked.

"A movie sounds good to me about now, yes." He pause to read the showing times and grinned. "Oh look, a horror movie. Very undatish. And they are very good for the heart so I've heard." He said pulling me inside the hot theater.

"I'm easily frightened by scary movies." I replied meekly as he bought our tickets.

"Well then you're lucky I'm not."

And then we went into the dark room.

The movie wasn't horrible. A little gory at some parts, and just downright disgusting at others, but it was bearable. Uchiha-san made it bearable. He would provide critical flaws in the movie which would intern make me laugh so hard, and so loud we were asked to leave midway by an irritated usher.

Uchiha-san had us run all the way out, which only angered the security guards. We were pursued for half a block before they stopped chasing us. We were breathless from running and laughing.

I held a hand against my chest in efforts to slow my breathing, but it was no use. I started giggling.

"Told you it was good for the heart."

And couldn't help but agree. "Yeah."

He smiled and asked for my hand again. I took it without question or fear this time.

We wandered a bit, as the streets were emptying of people and shops closing for the night. He then steered us back down the street where the diner was. We walked in comfortable silence, hand in hand. And each step we took sent dread up, for the moment we parted ways.

The cold air was nipping the exposed skin of my face and hands. I rubbed my hands together to warm them up before stuffing them into my pocket. He must have seen me doing this because the next thing I know, he gently stopped me mid-stride.

"What's wrong-" so he could pull his scarf off his neck, to wrap it around my own. His fingers lingered like a shadow as he pushed my hair out of the way. I was blushing like a tomato, and it was not from the cold.

"Oh! You don't have to do that Uchiha-san, I'm fine-"

"You're right, I don't." He said firmly before tucking the loose strand of hair behind my ear in a familiar gesture. "But I want to."

He again spoke once we were right in front of the diner. "I would walk you to your car, but I have to make quick run to library before it closes."

I checked my watch, it was almost 2:00 am.

"Can I give you a ride?" I asked.

But he just smiled mischievously, and pulled out my book from his coat pocket. "That's kind of you. But if you did, you wouldn't be able to read what I've written inside."

I make reach for the book, but he just held it up in the air laughing.

"No fair." I pouted.

"Life isn't fair." But he said it so lightheartedly, I couldn't help but smile in return.

Then I noticed how close our faces were from each other and stepped away. A look of pain flashed so quickly through his eyes, I could have imagined it. Instead he just let me step back, to close his eyes.

He closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. Then he spoke.

"Tonight, I've made you laugh. I gave you confidence, and I conquered your fears with you."

I looked at him strangely when he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"All what a man must do for his woman."

I froze.

He finally looked up and met my nervous green eyes with his smoldering ones.

The back of his knuckles brushed against my cheek as he quietly spoke. "To love, is one of life's greatest adventures. Take a chance."

I didn't know what to say.

"I thought you said you weren't after my virtue..."

He smiled crookedly. "Never said I was."

He steps forward into my space, now only inches away. His hand move upward to cup my cheek, and brush a stray strand of hair. Eyes dark and hooded from staring down my lips.

"I would very much like to kiss you." His lips whispered against my own. "But I fear you will run away."

I swallowed nervously. "I won't."

He looked at me, searching my eyes for something. Then his lips crashed down onto mine.

And nothing would have prepared me for the feeling of his lips against mine.

My body gave a jolt of shock as his lips claimed my own. I tasted him, not knowing if this would be the first and last time I did, wanting to memorize the moment with every fiber of my being.

My hands tangled in his hair, slim fingers dislodging the tie that kept the ebony strands bound.

I was breathless when he pulled away.

He placed a chaste kiss against my forehead before stepping back holding out the book to me.

"Read it in the morning."

I could only nod dumbly to his amusement.

He smiled and gave a small bow.

"To a happy life, Miss Haruno."

"Goodnight." I said breathlessly.

And he turned away to the opposite direction, messenger bag at hand, and walked off. His shadow casting figures along the sidewalk as he past lampposts.

And just like that, he was gone.

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>The sun's rays bled through the curtains of my window in my bedroom, as I lay in bed.<p>

I turn to the first page of my book and notice a note that wasn't there before.

**Thank you for taking care of my book.**

Then I remembered.

_"Where did you find this?" He asked as he held the worn copy of The Time Traveler's Wife to me._

_"This old thing? Someone had left it at the diner sometime around last week."_

_"Interesting."_

_". . . If magic exists only in the mystery, when the mystery is solved and over. Then so is the magic."_

I should have expected this from the beginning.

In the time span of one night, he managed to decipher the secrets to my heart. He was attentive, gentle, and kind. He taught me how to love. And now I'm in love with him.

My heart, yearned for the day for someone would make it beat once more. And it had to be him of all people. Someone who wasn't planning to stay.

He didn't even give me his name.

There is only one other time I felt this way before.

. . . Why must I fall for the charms of egotistical Uchiha men?

Then I remembered about the poem I finished writing yesterday.

I flip over to the flap where the poem was written. And where I had added lines to it, news lines exist.

All written in the same cursive from the note:

__Life flashes by in green.__

__Death ends in red.__

__But what stays constant,__

__What man holds dear, is fear.__

__Fear of mortality__

__Fear of oblivion__

__Fear of incompletion.__

__For the opposite of fear is love.__

__Yet there are those who fight it.__

__And until they cross that bridge.__

__And experience love that is eternal.__

__And find that missing piece.__

**_**It's out there,**_**

**_**Only if you look hard enough.**_**

**_**Because love is patient.**_**

**_**And so am I.**_**

__But for now, Dear ___**_**Itachi**_**___,__

__Wherever you may be.__

_**_When_**___you find me.__

__Promise to love me,__

__As I promise to love you.__

__To the end.__

__When our light goes red.__

The book fell out of my hands, landing face down onto the hardwood floor.

__Itachi.__

And then I knew.

He found me.

****Fin****

* * *

><p><strong><strong>An: Repost of a story I had written a while ago. Inspired by the song Dear No One by Tori Kelly and Where I'm Going by Corey Gray. Both great songs.****

****Tell me what you think! Should I continue?****

****Thanks for reading.****

****Cheers.****


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